Kobe's Peach Blossom Calamity

Just as Li Chen was feeling down, Elgin Baylor's phone rang. He took out his phone, his eyes falling on the caller ID, and then answered, "Hello! Mr. Sterling, yes! Li Chen, the injury isn't serious. Okay, I'll pass on your message."

A moment later, after hanging up the phone, Elgin Baylor said with a smile, "Chen, congratulations. For your outstanding performance this season, Donald Sterling is awarding you a bonus of $100,000 in his personal capacity."

Li Chen was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "Isn't this bonus a bit too small?"

Elgin Baylor could tell what Li Chen was thinking just by looking at him, so he joked, "Chen, don't be ungrateful. You're the first person to get a bonus from Donald Sterling; you should feel honored."

Li Chen: "..."

Not to be outdone, Li Chen retorted, "Mr. Baylor, you'll get fired for talking about your boss behind his back like that."

Old man Elgin Baylor shrugged, looking indifferent, as if to say, "If this place doesn't want me, there are plenty of other places that will."

Seeing this, Li Chen was speechless.

Just then, his phone rang. Li Chen saw it was Avril and said apologetically, "I'll take this call."

At the Spurs' press conference.

"Coach Popovich, did you benefit from Bowen's malicious foul in this game?" the reporter asked sharply.

In response to this question, Popovich remained calm and denied it, saying, "Mr. Reporter, please watch your words. I hereby declare that this was all Bowen's personal behavior and has nothing to do with the Spurs. As for Li Chen, I deeply apologize for what happened to him, but Bowen has also been punished."

The reporter was not disappointed; he had only mentioned the question casually. Even if it were true, Popovich was behind it, he wouldn't admit it unless he was senile.

He knew Popovich was a cunning old fox, so he targeted Duncan.

"Mr. Duncan, how do you feel about your performance today?"

"I'm very dissatisfied," Duncan said seriously.

Yes, he was really unhappy with his performance tonight. If he had performed just a little bit better, even if he had made just one more shot, the victory would have belonged to the Spurs.

"So what do you think of Li Chen's performance tonight?"

When Li Chen was mentioned, his expression became somewhat complicated. After all, Li Chen was a man that their Ma detachment had been unable to defeat despite using every means at their disposal. Yes, he even admired Li Chen to some extent.

Who doesn't want to be a hero? To single-handedly save the team from disaster? But he couldn't do it, yet Li Chen did. That's why he admires him.

"He played brilliantly; he's one of the best players I know."

Inside a Starbucks coffee shop.

"Chen, you played so well today! You made even someone like me who doesn't like basketball fall in love with it," Avril said.

"That's truly an honor!" Then Li Chen asked curiously, "So, what sports do you like?"

Avril exclaimed excitedly, "Ice hockey!" She then launched into a long explanation of the rules and other details of ice hockey to Li Chen.

Li Chen didn't reply during this time; he listened attentively to Avril's eloquent explanation.

A few minutes later, Li Chen couldn't help but laugh.

Avril stopped at this point and asked with displeasure, "Was what I said funny?"

Li Chen's smile faded, and he explained, "No, don't misunderstand, I just thought of something interesting."

"What?" Avril asked curiously as she arrived.

Li Chen was somewhat embarrassed.

"Tell me, I want to hear it," Avril urged.

Li Chen glanced at Avril, thinking to himself, "You said it yourself."

So he said, "Seeing you reminds me of a giant panda."

Avril was slightly taken aback. She had seen giant pandas before; they existed in the US and Canada. But she didn't understand why Li Chen would compare her to that chubby, adorable animal. Was she really that fat?

Seeing Avril's bewildered expression, Li Chen suppressed a laugh and pointed at Avril eyes, saying, "Especially your eyes, they look exactly like a panda's."

Avril "..."

She snapped, "You bastard, you don't understand art!"

As the clock struck midnight, a Land Rover drove through the silent city.

The car sped along the road, the night sky filled with stars, shining with a mysterious light.

The skyscrapers of Los Angeles stand tall against the night sky, emitting a faint, warm glow, as if the entire city is displaying a different kind of charm.

Li Chen and Avril were in the Land Rover SUV.

"Avril, I never knew you liked driving off-road vehicles," Li Chen remarked from the passenger seat.

"What? What's so surprising about that?" Avril asked, looking straight ahead without glancing at Li Chen.

"It's nothing. I thought girls all liked those sports cars."

"What? What kind of car do you like?"

"No, I don't like them. I like off-road vehicles too."

Avril paused for a moment, then remarked, "It's really something! We finally have a common interest."

"Hey, hey, hey! You just said you still like basketball."

"You mean that? After I told you about ice hockey, I felt... I was too impulsive back then, so I still prefer ice hockey."

Li Chen: "..."

After a brief silence, Avril asked, "Chen, are you really alright with your injuries?"

Li Chen's lips twitched, and he complained, "Seriously, how many times have you asked? I really, really am fine."

"Hey! I'm a pop star! Can't you show me some respect?"

Li Chen blinked. "I'm still the next God of Basketball."

"Tch..." they both suddenly said in unison, their voices filled with disdain.

Then, I burst into laughter again.

One hour later.

Li Chen opened the car door and got out, then said, "Drive carefully."

"Okay." She then blew Li Chen a kiss and strode away.

The next day, the cover of a sports magazine featured Li Chen with a cool expression, shooting a three-pointer.

Then came a huge headline. "Clippers captain makes a triumphant return after being fouled, scoring 29 points in 2 minutes and 45 seconds to defeat the Spurs and advance to the NBA Finals."

Meanwhile, Sketchers capitalized on Li Chen's immense popularity by promptly launching the Li Chen Miracle II sneakers.

The Clippers later announced that Li Chen would not participate in the NBA Finals.

This Clippers fans somewhat disappointed.

After a hard-fought five-game series, the Clippers lost to the Nets 4-1.

But this championship brought no glory to the New Jersey Nets; instead, it brought them shame.

Because their championship was considered the least prestigious in NBA history.

After all, with the Clippers' scoring and defensive linchpins absent, the Nets failed to sweep them. In the eyes of the media, the Clippers without Li Chen were a bottom-feeder team that wouldn't even make the Playoffs, which made the media think the New Jersey Nets were weak.

However, the reality is quite different; the Clippers are no longer the Clippers they once were.

However, the media often tries to gain attention by belittling one side and attacking the other.

Moreover, fans wholeheartedly agree with this view, after all, Li Chen's performance was too dominant, almost single-handedly defeating the Spurs in the last two minutes and 45 seconds.

A few days later, the 2003 Draft, later known as the Platinum Generation, was held at Tracy McGrady Square Garden in New York.

Li Chen was also brought to the draft by Elgin Baylor.

The top ten picks are as follows:

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

2. Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons

3. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

4. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

6. Chris Kaman, Grizzlies

7. Kirk Hinrich, Chicago Bulls

8. T. Ford, Milwaukee Bucks

9. Michael Sweetney, New York Knicks

10. Jarvis Hayes, Washington Wizards

The Clippers is vastly different from their historical record, so they didn't get a good draft pick, only holding the 30th pick in the first round.

The talent show continued.

Elgin Baylor asked, "Chen, could you tell me what kind of players our team needs? That might help you."

The reason Elgin Baylor asked this question was that Donald Sterling had no intention of strengthening the team before the trade deadline, which made Elgin Baylor feel sorry for Li Chen.

Li Chen thought about it and realized that the Clippers ' 30th pick wasn't very good. If it were the 18th pick, they could have selected David West, a future All-Star Player, but with the 30th pick, there really wasn't much to choose from.

Wait a minute, then he suddenly remembered something and said, "Mr. Baylor, our team needs a shooter, anyone who can shoot three-pointers will do."

Li Chen didn't mention Korver's name, as that would seem a bit strange.

Elgin Baylor thought for a moment and then nodded; he too had realized that the Clippers were lacking a backup scorer.

Elgin Baylor then began searching for suitable candidates from the remaining draft roster.

Li Chen wasn't worried that Elgin Baylor would miss out on Korver.

Because Korver's three-point shooting was just too impressive during this period.

After about five or six minutes, Elgin Baylor pointed to a name on the list and said, "Chen, take a look at this kid named Kyle Korver. His three-point shooting percentage in his senior year was 48%, and he made a total of 371 three-pointers in his four-year college career, which is Creighton University's team record and ranks sixth in NCAA history."

After Elgin Baylor introduced Korver's resume, he looked at Li Chen.

Li Chen nodded. "He's the one."

Elgin Baylor nodded.

Elgin Baylor never expected that this draft would allow him to retain his title as the best manager.

After the draft, teams began strengthening their rosters for the next season.

First up is the Lakers, known for their super-luxury F4 lineup, and they're now in the final stages.

It's worth mentioning that Kobe Bryant once declared that the Lakers would not have him if O'Neal was on the Lakers, and even pressured for a trade, but was eventually persuaded by Phil Jackson.

Phil Jackson knew that the OK Combination's days were numbered, and the Lakers would have to make a decision when O'Neal's contract expired next year.

On the other hand, Malone was hesitant about joining the Lakers.

After a series of internal struggles, he finally made a decision.

When Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak called to ask Malone what his decision was, he was stunned. Malone had refused. His dream of a super team with his "F4" lineup had fallen through.

But that wasn't the most unacceptable thing for him. What he found most unacceptable was that after Karl Malone rejected him, he immediately chose to join the Clippers. How could he possibly accept that?

Even if Malone doesn't come, it's okay; the Big Three can still win the championship.

But what drove Mitch Kupchak crazy was that Payton said he wouldn't go to the Lakers if Malone didn't go. Fortunately, after much persuasion, he finally convinced Payton to join the Lakers.

At this moment, Mickey Kupchak felt incredibly overwhelmed.

On the afternoon of June 29th, Li Chen skipped training and instead went to Kobe's house to fool Kobe.

One hour later.

Kobe's expression turned cold when he saw Li Chen arrive.

"Li Chen, that's enough. Is it fun to show off in front of me every day?"

Li Chen touched his nose, thinking, "This guy has really been provoked by me."

So he said, "Kobe, why are you saying this? It makes me very sad. I was just sharing my joy with a good friend. How could you say that?"

Hearing Li Chen spout such righteous nonsense Kobe really wanted to smash the basketball in his hand into Li Chen's face.

He had never seen such a shameless scoundrel. He felt his eyes were completely blind; how could he possibly befriend such a degenerate?

Just then, Kobe noticed that Li Chen looked serious.

Kobe was a bit confused, wondering what this unreliable guy was up to now.

Kobe was about to speak, but Li Chen raised his hand to stop him, signaling him to be quiet.

Then they started whispering among themselves.

Seeing Li Chen's solemn expression, he didn't dare to disturb him.

Because in Kobe's eyes, Li Chen is now synonymous with a charlatan.

Five minutes later, Li Chen felt the time was about right, and then began his elaborate deception. "Little Kobe! You're in big trouble!"

Seeing Li Chen's worried expression, Kobe felt somewhat frustrated. He felt like he was truly plagued by misfortune; just over a month ago, he was told he was in danger of bloodshed, and now something else had happened?

So Kobe asked, somewhat nervously, "What should I do?"

Seeing Kobe's anxious little face, Li Chen almost burst out laughing.

So he made an alarmist claim. "I just saw that you're destined for many romantic encounters..."

Before Li Chen could continue, Kobe, ever the curious one, interrupted, "Chen, does 'peach' refer to a fruit?"

Li Chen was slightly taken aback, then said with displeasure, "Don't interrupt."

After criticizing Kobe, he explained, "In our Eastern divination, 'Peach blossom luck' refers to popularity with women. People who are prone to 'peach blossom luck' often have members of the opposite sex throwing themselves at them."

Kobe blinked. At this time, Kobe was still young and vigorous, and Vanessa was pregnant again. He had been holding back for several months, and when he heard this, he suddenly became eager to try.

Seeing Kobe's expression, Li Chen chuckled inwardly, thinking, "Little Kobe, I'm going to scare you so badly you'll wet yourself."

Lost in thought, Li Chen sneered, "Kobe, don't be too happy yet. This 'peach blossom luck' you've encountered isn't Peach Blossom Luck, it's Peach Blossom Calamity."

Kobe frowned, then asked, puzzled, "What's the difference between the two? Aren't they both peach blossom luck?"

"Hmph! The difference is huge. Peach Blossom Luck can bring you the happiness of having multiple wives, while Peach Blossom Calamity can ruin your family."

Upon hearing the phrase "family destroyed and loved ones killed, "Kobe instinctively staggered back, taking a long time to react.

"You bastard, Chen, don't joke like that with me, or we're really done being friends!" Kobe shouted angrily.

Kobe was truly enraged this time.